


the sentiments shared

by aloevere



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, M/M, but it's pretty close in the end so i did anyway lol, uhh wasn't sure if i wanted to tag them as a ship or anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 16:10:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15889473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aloevere/pseuds/aloevere
Summary: Elmott can’t seem to place a definitive emotion when it came to the elusive Erune called Shao.





	the sentiments shared

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the very first fic I've posted online in public and I'm sort of nervous.  
> There might be errors, but I plan to catch them on gradually while it's here. Please don't mind them and thank you in advance for reading!
> 
> I should also add that it’s recommended that you have prior knowledge of Shao and Elmott’s fate episodes when reading this.
> 
> (The image is pretty irrelevant to what's written, but I wanted to draw something for it)

  
  


A few weeks had passed since Elmott had last seen the mysterious healer Shao aboard the Grandcypher. Of course, he didn’t appear to mind much from it. He rarely bothered to interact with most other crew members the captain would invite to the ship spontaneously.

Even if they joined, he would only see some of them stay for a short while before going on their own journeys. Some would follow suit and stay on an island the crew landed on to resupply materials. He’d see some familiar faces come back to the ship eventually within the following days, weeks, or months. Most of them didn’t register any importance to him.

Most except a few.

After his teeth were brushed, the Erune isolated himself to his cabin and released a sigh. As he sat on the bed that was also provided too, the weight of him made it creaked.

Tonight’s stroll was also tiring.

He watched the dimly lit embers within his lantern flicker. Sometimes at night, he would stare at the flames long enough for an old event to relapse into his mind. Unfortunately for this night’s fire-watch, an unsavory memory of a particular Erune crept back.

He furrowed his brows, the forgotten anger being rekindled inside.

As he began to recall, the day that the peddler initiated into the ship was one he was not thoroughly impressed nor happy with.

Lyria attempted to coat over the issue as calmly as possible. She and the captain did not make any attempts to excuse for what was done to them, but they noted that the mysterious Erune healed the persisted illness the captain caught. He could still remember her pleads.

_“He’s the one that cured their sickness and took care of my injury, so he’s definitely not suspicious!”_

Elmott couldn’t argue against that. Rather, he knew that to disagree with them was a hopeless act. They could be understanding, they could comply easily, but they were strongly stubborn. Their hearts were in the right place, however, sometimes such kind of faith shouldn’t be given to everyone. Especially ones that did not deserved it.

In the end, he didn’t make the call; their captain did.

He detested that the healer had done as much good as he has done bad to the pair. To him, it didn’t matter that he fixed up a meager wound. Despite it being the past, the fact that Shao purposefully left Lyria and the captain to potential peril, that issue mattered far more.

Thankful that they came out safe, ungrateful that the healer only decided to do something for them after they escaped from the danger.

He actually never introduced himself upfront with Shao. In fact, he was sure that he may never need to. The healer didn’t bother to converse with other fellow members of the ship until they spoken to him first. Almost all the time, they came to him for remedies, check-ups, or advice.

The former arsonist didn’t have any reason to visit him whatsoever. He hated to admit it, but ever since he learned of Shao’s deeds; Elmott made a solemn vow to always keep himself in healthy condition as to avoid any interaction. Though, his lack of sleep did get to him at times, it wasn’t detrimental enough to cost him.

Elmott felt his eyelids grow heavy, and at the same time the last embers going out. After he propped his lamp on the nightstand and took off the redundant garment and shoes, he slipped into bed.

He laid there for a few seconds before the burden of sleep overcame him. A chance allowed to wipe away the irritable recollections.

…

...If the pyromancer had to be honest, he only disliked him because it was easier than to deliberate over the choices that were done. For some reason, he probably knew that Shao wouldn’t have blamed him either for doing so.

———————

The next time he saw the medicine seller, he couldn’t fathom the situation that was caused. One that Elmott himself couldn’t organize any of his thoughts into words. As an adult, he felt a mixed sense of responsibility for being unable to console the two young skyfarers, much less, Lyria.

She and the captain had caught wind of an Erune with a medicine box selling wares at the island they landed on. They were able to find him, but their trip there ended with a bitter experience difficult to swallow. Whatever it was, was enough for them to ask Shao to travel with the crew once more.

Him to leave the ship again was now indefinite. He would stay until the two could provide an answer to his ethics.

Elmott had also seen a new kind of look on the healer’s self that day. While he witnessed him board the ship alongside Lyria and their captain, with the usual playful smile wired on his lips—

He noticed, at least a hint, something off that reflected on those pale muted eyes.

If Elmott hadn’t seen it, he might’ve continued to hold the resentment he had before being told of the events that happened. Because those eyes, they were the answer which showed where the guilt was responsibly held.

From then on, what he used to bore against Shao slowly dissipated into a silent empathy.

———————

The pyromancer didn’t mean to, but he overheard Shao exchanged words with the captain before the young teen sprinted off to enjoy the festivities with the other crew members. He had been in the kitchen with Lowain and co to prep for the holiday feast that was soon to occur. Lost in his thoughts, he replayed the words of their conversation into his head.

_“Christmas is it... You can be so childish at times, which I find to be a wonderful thing.”_

Elmott felt a resonance with the healer; he never would’ve expected an individual like Shao himself to treasure such moments. Because he knew what it’s like to prize the fleeting innocence children had.

For once, it was the first positive sentiment that was shared mutually between the two.

Later at night, when Elmott came outside to the freezing deck to break away from the revelry, he noticed a silhouette figure in the distance near the bow of the ship. Were they not cold? He couldn’t tell as his eyes haven’t accustomed to the dark yet and that he was too far.

Curious, he decided to approach close enough as to make out that the figure unmistakably belonged to Shao. Earlier, he was jubilant from the celebration, so why was he here? A shawl was wrapped around Shao which protected him from the shivering weather. He did not seem to tremble nor move.

His hair matched the snow that fell gently onto the ship’s deck and on him. Almost as if fragile, it looked as though the healer could disappear and melt away too.

To have seen the always-inexplicable doctor of the ship, stand alone when no one else was around, Elmott was reminded of the past. Whatever emotion that stirred within, it was anything but pity. The magic fire-user bolted back inside to the kitchens, inspired by an idea before he chose to do anything else hasty.

As of that moment, he felt compelled to reach forward, to share the secured warmth emitted from his lantern, to speak with the former wanderer

as if he were an old longtime companion.

———————

When the medicine practitioner heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him, it broke off his trance. An enveloping glow of heat began to surround the area. Turning his head back to where the source was coming from, he ends up seeing a familiar red-haired Erune with a smirk on their expression.

On one hand, they held a tray with two mugs of what appear to be steaming hot chocolate. On the other, the iconic brightly-lit lantern they carried everywhere with.

“Pretty chilly outside ain’t it?” Elmott says, grinning.

Shao can't help but smile softly back at the gesture.

“It quite was before you came.”

**Author's Note:**

> The ending segment is meant to direct back to Elmott’s childhood in a way. His earliest memory as a child was being in the snow and when he imagined something warm, that was when he obtained his ability of fire magic. It is also present-tense on purpose so I hope that catched on!


End file.
